The Superior times. [volume] (Superior, Wis.) 1870-1912, 1887-06-04
Tle Fading Army al Blue.

The Grand Army OF the Republic, department
of Iowa. was in session last week at BubGquc
The eaoaupmcut Tci rGsCutS a body of mcu Who
are disappearing into eteruItyS ocean at the rate
OF 501 year. aud WHO can have 10 Successors
Ten year, hence there viii probably be no post in
Bedford for by lhut time. or 10y the beginning Of
The twentieth century al latest. those who remain
will probably be too weak in numbers to Inain-
tain an organization. Reunions viii be among
the things that were. The war 81 the rebellion
viii have ceased 10 be mGtterof recollection and
will have become purely matter OF history.
Taps viii have sounded for most OF the sturdy
defenders Of the nation of a quarter of Il century
ago and they Will have sunk To rest 70 rl>c again
only when the last rCveile is heard at the GAVIN
ing of eternity Let The boys make the most OF
their tire While time yet remains. Let The ties
Of C5mradeShip bind yet more closely while they
may, for they Will presently be lo,Sencd for ever
And we would add, let the liberty
loving citizens of this great land make
haste to shew their respect for the men
who braved the lannon's mouth and
rushed through the gates Of human
hell for their beloved country before it
be too late. Let it never be said that
American citizens have forgotten the
work Of the c. A. Il. 1t may seem
tedious and mOnotonous to harp on
this one string, but if there is one
thing that | tremble for in this west
ern country it is the utter care!essness
and morbid passiveness with which
the people view this national holiday.
They appear to have forgotten what it
commentaries, and instead Of shew-
ing their sympathy for the brave vet
Grams they make it a day of revcllings
and carousals, and become at once
british, yea deyiIish in their passions
Haye done with this, my adopted
brethren, and cheer the hearts Of old
soldiers by full attendance at the
Decoration services on the morrow.
Don't let it be such a miserable fail
ure as the one of last year | had just
come to this country, haYing read with
the deepest interest and heartfelt SYM
pathy the story Of that awful war.
Imagine my establishment to find the
few old soldiers assembled with a score
Of children parading through the town
like a show. | asked myself is this
the way Americans loye the memory
Of the soldiers who fought for Union
and liberty,-and in the great North
West that was so enthusiastic at the
time of the war and sent her fathers
husbands and sons by the thousands
to defend the dear old ''.Stars and
Stripes" Candidly now, do you won
der at my reverie? Tell me not it is
sentimental! Which is the best? To
love the survivors while they are with
US, or as soon as they pass away, CATER
experiencing heart pangs at the in
difference Of an apparently ungrateful
people,, to pat up a monument grand
and stately and on itinscribed, Brave
defenders of our country and lovingly
remembered" Such sympathy is
fareical. | have stated my honest CON
yictions on this question if do come
from a country the government of
which showed anything but interest in
the cause of the Unionists, ! am of
people who did sympathize, and who
sent their children to defend the cause
OF freedom, and | want to be among
those who can say Of the old soldiers,
"We love you" not I'VE loved them
Tomorrow is n national holiday. Close
your stores business men for at least
half day. Don't buy asingle article
American citizens for that time, and
come out en- masse with the veterans
OF our army on the morrow, and let
the British opinion be a correct one,
as they declare Americans are wonder
fully patriotic.
In conclusion let me ask, first, how
can we best remember in the future
"the rock whence we were hewn and
the hole of the pit whence we were
digged." We must have no sympathy
with slavery of any description, moral,
temporal, physical. We must all be
lovers of true liberty and yet that lib
erty must not be libertinism you
want 10 preserve in tact the spirit of
our laws and constitutions the only
way 10 do it Is, not to tolerate any